What's the least socially conservative that Reagan could possibly have been? His economic and foreign policy can stay as it was OTL.
Why would a different Democrat winning in 1976 result in Reagan 1980 being less socially conservative?Any other dem besides Carter wins in '76, followed by Reagan in 1980.
He was the governor who legalized abortion in California. It’s actually pretty doable.
I think you need a POD quite far back (possibly some sort of personal experience?) but a socially liberal yet foreign policy hawkish Reagan is a definite possibility without rousing the ASB from his cage.
Wasn't he good friends with Rock Hudson? Maybe something happening to Hudson - an expose or whatever - leads him to be more publicly supportive of at least some gay rights.
He agreed to liberalization of the abortion laws in California back when the opposition was mainly Catholic.
When conservative Protestant denominations also moved toward opposition after Roe v. Wade, it was likely that conservative politicians would follow.
Carter woke up evangelicalism in national politics to the extent of OTL's 80s and 90s. Remove him and its muted.Why would a different Democrat winning in 1976 result in Reagan 1980 being less socially conservative?
didn't he turn conservative due to nancy's influence on him? I know he was fairly left wing before then. maybe have him stay married to his first wife and continue being a democrat
Bill Clinton did alot of the economic/social conservatism people credit to Reagan. Well him and others helped solidify the conservative consensus that's only begun to break down last decade.How socially conservative was Reagan really? Not the mythological Reagan who has been created over the past three decades but the real one? He gave lip service to a lot of issues important to social conservatives and made ridiculous suggestions like a constitutional amendment in favor of school prayer (like that was going to happen) but what did he accomplish? I'm talking about things he said or even views he may have held but what did he actually do?
I get the War on Drugs but I see that as broader than just social conservatism.
Bill Clinton did alot of the economic/social conservatism people credit to Reagan. Well him and others helped solidify the conservative consensus that's only begun to break down last decade.
And I agree with interpoltomo that the War On Drugs is ideologically different from social conservativism. It's more what we would call Soccer Momism, to retrofit terminology from a few years later.